Interview with Throane

Throane was one of last year’s great surprises. I came across “Derrière-Nous, La Lumière” and was became hooked almost instantly, therefore I started searching the internet trying to gather info for this project. I discovered that Dehn Sora, known for his collaborations with many Extreme Metal bands, was the mastermind behind this project. Metal Invader got in contact with Dehn and we exchanged a few words.

Hey there Dehn! My name’s Elpida and I’m currently an author at Metal Invader webzine. I took the liberty of contacting you as Thoane’s debut “Derrière-Nous, La Lumière” made a great impression on me, so I figured you could shine some more light over this release. First of all, let’s start with your decision to create Throane. After all these years of being mostly a graphic designer, an artist for the eye, how come you chose to start this project and why did you choose to carry out this task alone?

I didn’t have any plan regarding the creation of the project. Everything was a bit fast, no plans, just those tracks that came out. An urge to let them go. But that’s actually not my first incursion in the musical aspect of things. I am active since few years now with my ambient project Treha Sektori, and active in Sembler Deah and OVTRENOIR. It turned to be a lonely experience because of the spontaneous aspect of its creation. What have led me could not be explained in a way. Didn’t want to drag anyone in this. This is why I took that on my shoulders in a way. I find my balance in digging into those feelings alone. Vision sharing in a collective effort didn’t find its place.

What does Throane mean? Is it a word you created yourself? If that’s the case, what does it mean?

It is a mix between words “Throne” and “Throat”. While recording, I had this phrase in mind “Throat is the Throne of every knots”. Where everything’s blocked, when you cannot say a word about what’s boiling in your stomach. Throat is a center of some energies. You can come from meditation to scream. It’s a fragile yet powerful instrument in your body. You can be private from words, language, but still feel burning from it. I guess it’s a natural extension of my obsessions. When the project was released, a close friend of mine told me “Throane” means “Tear” in a flemish dialect. Made sense afterwards.

Who or which bands or which projects served as an influence for you? How was your taste sculpted?

Always hard for me to tell about influences. It can turn cliché in many ways. But since a while, I don’t think bands influence me like “oh I like how those bands sounds like, let’s try to do something in that way”. But it’s mainly experiences. My eyes are open every day, I feel connected as much as I feel far. And more and more, this gap is expanding. Spending time with some bands, some individuals, not connected to music at all, open eyes where I could not imagine, think about. It moves every time, but I think that the common theme of my influence is going as far as we can. I feel touched by projects, artists, things in life that are not “lukewarm”. Whatever if it’s the cheesiest sound produced, if it’s done with heart and straight to it, I’m touched. I like to feel from artists / individuals that they have “alter” purposes. Questioning themselves to feel more.

Extending the previous questions, what urged you to compose such an album, both music-wise and lyric-wise? I gather despair and nihilism radiating from your music. Care to elaborate on that?

What urged is pretty cliché too. But if I haven’t done this record, I don’t know what I’ve become. There is time in life when you are submerged. You don’t know how to deal with punches that life gives you. I don’t feel any catharsis in that, it’s just a way to put them on a page. To really face this wave. And go for it. Like if it was the last time I fight. This was the rope that grabbed my ankle in my fall. And that voice, up, that says “ok, touch the chasm, but let it go’. The lyrics are composed like a very long text I’ve automatically wrote. Was on maybe 40 pages in a notebook. I locked myself in a studio, without anyone. Recording those phrases, with no thinking in the order, just taking what comes. When I’ve been out, gone out for a cigarette. Instead, I’ve burned the notebook.

What’s the process you follow when composing music? Is there a personal ritual or is it mostly ‘impulsive’ kind of work?

When it comes to Throane, it’s more like “if it’s what came out, that’s what it should be. With it mistakes, with it’s imperfections.” There’s as different processes as different days. It’s a page I can’t leave blank because I don’t want to close my eyes in the night with what was stucked in my body the whole day.

Throane is considered a French Black Metal outfit as far as I know. France in recent years has been flooding the world with numerous remarkable Extreme Metal bands, thus creating (more like maintaining) a strong scene. Do you keep up with the French releases? Anything you particularly liked or keep listening to these days? What’s your opinion towards your local scene, how different or how similar is it comparing it to others? Do you feel a part of it?

France has a taste for limit pushing projects, I think. Thinking of Deathspell Omega, Blut Aus Nord, for the leading ones. But lately, what kept my attention in France, is coming from a certain hiphop scene, such as Asocial Club, Casey. Mütterlein debut, Chaos Echoes, Aluk Todolo… I’m listening to a lot of things, but not especially digging into because it’s french. I don’t really have an opinion about local scene. I don’t feel I’m part of anything, always feel as an outcast. Not being “part of the game”. I have affinities with many french involved individuals. But I don’t frequent them because they are part of a scene, or because I can have an interest. Just because we had this to break the ice for a conversation, and discover we have affinities. With my project Treha Sektori, I played in some metal oriented bills, as much as ambient ones. I’ve never felt connected to any genre, any scene. If I can help someone, I’ll always do my best, but not in order to build a scene, or having the feeling of being part of a group. I give the force I have when I can.

You released “Derrière-Nous, La Lumière” via Debemur Morti Productions, if I’m not mistaken. Did you choose the label or did the label choose you? Did Debemur Morti have anything to do with the production of the album or have any comments on your material, good or bad? Is your collaboration a healthy one?

I work with DMP since several years, mostly as a graphic designer. We built a rewarding relationship together. Working on another way than usual. They are from the ones that want to push boundaries, and this is always a great experience to work with their bands. Hand to hand. From the idea to packaging. When Throane came out, I made it listen to DMP, and they were enthusiast enough to push this on a physical thing. They had few comments on some aspects, because they were around since the demos. But they never told me “if you don’t change that we won’t release it”. I think they work for the greater good, not to push any band in any cases, or model them in their shape. I think they just want to push my thing as far as we can, but it should remain my vision. I sincerely wish it’ll continue.

Focusing on your ‘main’ line of work as a graphic designer, you have collaborated with more than many bands in the field. First of all, did any of them affect you in terms of music or influence you, given your interest in music composition and the creation of Throane? Secondly, are you currently working on any projects? Are you in the process of designing stuff for upcoming releases?

In a way it could have give me keys for some doors in my musical approach. But I feel it very different. As designer, I’m here to serve a vision. I put a lot of myself into but I’m here to walk with them. In the end, they have to be in phase with the visual. I know what they put into, so I wan’t to honor it. But when it comes to my process, I don’t really ask for advices or anything. It’s a path I take alone, and I wan’t to assume everything myself. I’m planing to make less artwork for bands, except close friends, bands I’ve work with. I need to save time for my projects. And I’m not really in phase with some bands visions lately, I don’t feel the same freedom and envy to push boundaries.

Talking about future releases, will we listen to more Throane material soon? Have you composed anything new or at least, do you have something in mind for the future?

A new record is actually ready, and planing a second one as a split. And seriously planing a live incarnation.

Alright, thank you for spending your time to answer my questions; that’s all from me for the time being. You can end this interview anyway you want it. Any messages for our readers?